San Diego are set to join the National Women’s Soccer League as an expansion team in Spring 2022.
Jill Ellis, the only two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winning manager and a former FIFA World Women’s Coach of the Year recipient, will serve as the club’s president
“This is a proud and historic moment for soccer in San Diego, Southern California and the United States,” said NWSL, Ellis told nwslsoccer.com. “The NWSL continues to grow immensely and bringing women’s professional soccer back to San Diego, an area with a rich soccer history and passionate fanbase, will have a deep and positive impact on this community. I’m incredibly honoured to lead this club forward as we prepare for play in this league next year. We aim to become a significant team globally, led by influential women, with the ability to attract the best talent throughout the world. I am eager to begin this project and look forward to leading this club as we build towards the future.”
The club’s name, crest, head coach and venue partner will be announced at a later date.
“On behalf of the NWSL and our board of governors, I’m thrilled to welcome San Diego NWSL to our league,” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird. “The NWSL’s growth is obviously a priority for us, but we’ve always said that growth has to be done thoughtfully and deliberately. That’s exactly what we’ve done here. San Diego NWSL has all the hallmarks of a successful expansion club: a committed ownership group with the resources required to invest in the success of our league and our players, in a community full of soccer players and fans, in a region that has been underrepresented in our league. I can’t wait to watch it all come together.”
